Shooting Stars
by Crystalmaiden62
Summary: *Remake of Hearts of Darkness* It is the coming of a New Year and Anna wonders where her future is going like most high schoolers. On New Years Eve though, her worlds is attacked by the Heartless and she's sent into a world that she thought was just a game. Now Anna follows Sora and company to find her friends and family, possibly gaining something along the way. (Later Riku x OC)
1. Chapter 1: Happy New Year

Crystal: Well, I'm back.

Anna: About time. You've been busy with life, school, and remaking that we all thought you were dead.

Nihil: Yeah, so many silent months.

Belle: When are you going to finish my story? It's shorter than this one.

Grace: what about me?!

Crystal: all in due time everyone. Let's just get this remake out. And yes, this is the remake version of my Hearts series. I've changed a lot of things and really, it needed to happen. Reading my old version made me pick out the plot holes. But anyway, here is chapter one of Shooting Stars. Disclaimer time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If you like the original Hearts Series, I still have it up. Also, please no flames. If you do not like this story, you can always leave.

* * *

_When thinking about the world… _

_Can you tell what is real and what is not?_

_When you can't see, feel, or be in things they're not real…._

_Right?_

Chapter 1: A Happy New Year

"No! Don't use fire! The batons will catch fire!"

"He's gonna use the stove anyway!"

"Look out! Fireballs!"

"Damn it! I lost Goofy!"

I sat beside my friend and tutor, Edward, as I watched him play the first Kingdom Hearts game. He was battling the boss of Wonderland, the Trickmaster, and we were shouting at each other, but we didn't mind. We had known each other since I was a freshman in high school and even though he was two years older than me; he was so much fun to be around. He doesn't view himself as high and mighty all the time like some of the seniors, no. Edward, or Eddie as he likes to be called (he'd rather be called a cartoon than a sparkly fairy vampire any day), is head of the anime club and can actually stand some girly animes that most guys avoid.

Me? I'm a sophomore, kind of small for my age, but I love RPGs. Pokémon and Kingdom Hearts being my first games, and they still have a tender spot in my heart. My name is Anna, Anna Daang, and I'm part Vietnamese, Chinese, and maybe a bit French. I'm not sure about the last one since I don't look fully Asian. My eyes are a little bigger than most Asians; I don't even feel fully Asian since I don't know Vietnamese well... Unless it's for food.

Today, we were hanging out at Eddie's house, playing the new final mix versions of the Kingdom Hearts games on Eddie's PS3. We switched playing when one of us got a game over, and we'd cheer each other. It was the day before New Years Eve and today was the only day we would be able to play together. Tomorrow, I'll be with my family and celebrating the New Years together. Eddie will be doing the same and honestly, we're glad to have at least have one day together during the winter break.

"I hate this boss." Eddie said, putting the controller down and letting the scene start. He had finished beating the Trickmaster, and I don't blame him for feeling relieved.

"Still, you did a good job." I admitted, leaning back on the couch I was sitting on. "Besides, there are harder bosses in this game, like the Phantom in Neverland." Eddie nodded, pressing the buttons as the text scrolled before us. He didn't say much as we read the text though now and then he'd try to do a new voice for characters, like the Cheshire Cat. I guess that's one of the things I liked most about Eddie. Still, I want to talk more to him before I had to go home.

"Hey, Eddie? What are you planning to do after high school?" That made Eddie stop pressing buttons, and he went silent.

"I guess I'll go into graphic design or something." Eddie said, shrugging. He then looked to me, and I wasn't sure what expression he was using. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you're graduating this year and well… I don't know what I want to do with my life." I admitted.

"You don't need to decide now." My friend pointed out, leaning back to lay on the carpeted floor. "I'm not even fully sure if I want to do graphic design. There are so many options."

"Not for me… I'm probably going to get stuck somewhere." I said, feeling a little disheartened. I'm not the best student, I get easily distracted, I hate having to do a lot of work (which is normal for any student), and school just annoys me. None of the teachers seem to care what they teach, and most don't even do their jobs right. One teacher blamed me for my failing grade in math class but all that teacher talks about is his son and his time in the army.

Eddie looked like he wanted to say something to cheer me up but I heard my phone ring, and I looked to see it was my dad calling me. The ringing stopped, but I got a text saying to come home and that it had been three hours. I was needed at home to get ready for the party tomorrow, which I was kind of looking forward to. At least at the house I can play Kingdom Hearts with my cousins though they'll be more likely to be making fun of Sora's fashion choice than actually playing the game.

"Time to go." I said, getting up from my seat. "I'll see you at school."

"You going to be okay walking home?" Eddie asked, getting up as well. "I can walk you to the McDonalds if you'd like."

"Yeah. I'd like that." I appreciate Eddie coming with me, sometimes I feel okay with walking by myself but with Eddie around, I do feel a little safer. Besides, it gives me more time to talk to him. Still, when I got home, it was total work. Cleaning, setting up, cooking, my entire family was busy. Well… except my older sister, Maggie. She was sleeping in her bed with her boyfriend, and I was a little annoyed with them. Still, they are 'guests' since they came all the way from Nevada to see us.

The next day, I needed a break. Seeing the large amount of people in the house wasn't so bad, it was just so loud. What was worse, my younger cousins broke into my room while I was helping out, and they started drawing on my walls. While the adults were scolding them, I snuck out of the house, quickly texting Mom where I was going and honestly, at this point, I didn't care if Mom was mad. I needed peace and quiet. I walked to the McDonalds down the street and stood in line waiting for my turn to order. It was then I noticed a young man, maybe in high school but I've never seen him before.

He had dark hair, yellow eyes, a jacket with fake fur lining the hood, a black shirt, and dark blue jeans. I know for a fact I've never seen him before, his eyes were the big give away. He also had this face that didn't rub me the right way, the way he looked at people. That's another thing! He had a perfectly good set of chicken nuggets, but he just sat there watching people as they ordered food from his seat at the counter. He had this smirk on his face that kind of worried me; it was like looking at a child who was planning to do something very mean. His eyes flitted to me, and I was surprised when he gave me a slight wave.

I quickly looked away. 'Do not make eye contact with the weirdo.' I thought, and went up to order my apple pie and hot chocolate. It wasn't crowded today, since it was New Years Eve so I got to sit at a really good booth and took out my 3DS to play Dream, Drop, Distance. Placing my headphones in, I instantly got sucked into the game. Thankfully I wasn't too deep into it because I would've been yelling at my game for the horrible boss in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

"What are you doing?" I nearly jumped out of my skin; my hot chocolate thankfully not spilling all over me. Someone had talked right into my ear, and I turned to see the creepy guy from earlier. He smiled brightly at me, but I wasn't sure if it was a good smile or not.

"Um… what?" I asked, pulling out one of my headphones.

"What are you playing?" He repeated his hands on his hips. "It seems like a fun game if you keep glaring so intensely." I blushed a little at this; I didn't know I was glaring at the game this whole time.

"Um… it's Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance…." I said, showing him my game.

"Kingdom Hearts?" The guy asked; his eyebrows raised in interest. His voice seemed to get lighter, and before I could stop him, he moved to sit across from me and didn't look like he was going to move. "Can you tell me more about the game?"

I was seriously ready to call for security or even punch him, but this guy just looked at me with an earnest expression. That and if I did punch him, I might end up getting thrown out or the police may come, so I just told him what I knew about the Kingdom Hearts series, which happened to be a lot of facts. I've played all the Kingdom Hearts games since I was little, and I'm never bored of it. I think I may have been talking for thirty minutes, telling him in great detail about the storyline of the games. He didn't interrupt me, seeming to be engrossed in what I had to say and nodding now and then.

"Well, this is strange…" The guy said, his arms crossed, but his smile never leaving his face.

"What do you mean by strange?" I asked, but the guy looked at me right in the eyes. A sudden chill went down my spine, but I thought that was from the door suddenly opening and letting some chilly air enter the place.

"It's strange that even this world is connected…."

"Um… what are you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In a theoretical sense, everything is connected." He said, closing his eyes and letting his head tilt back. "I mean, it does seem like a game but you have to admit there are some realistic stuff in it." Okay, I'm sitting with a crazy person.

"Um… are you nuts or high? In both cases, I should really get you help." I said, and I jumped when he just started laughing. Okay, I am sitting with a guy who is a dozen fries short of a happy meal. "Um… I'm gonna go now. I'm needed at home." I said quickly getting out of my seat and leaving the half-eaten apple pie and hot chocolate behind.

"Yes… it has been very educational talking to you." The guy said, grinning cat like at me. "I hope to see you again. If you make it…" That last part he had muttered but I could hear it as clear as day. That made me sprint out of the store without looking back. What the hell did he mean by that? That was too freaky for words.

When I got home, I tried to forget my encounter. The world is full of crazy people; surely the one I met was just among that group. I fell into the chaos at home, hearing the adults cheering, my cousins laughing as they play board games, me talking to my younger cousins as we played video games, and so much more. I was starting to forget what had happened a McDonalds, when my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Anna! You need to see the news! You won't believe this!" It was Eddie, and he sounded between panic and excitement.

"Anna, what's going on?" My cousin, Madison asked as I switched channels to the news channel. At what I saw, I dropped the remote in pure shock and horror: black ant-like creatures with glowing yellow eyes were attacking people. My younger cousin, who was five years old, clung to me, and I knew why. We had just seen those monsters on TV. I was fighting them in my game. They were the heartless… but….

"Anna? Are you still there?" I heard Eddie's voice through the phone, and it was an effort to speak.

"I… I'm here. Are you family safe?"

"We've locked ourselves in the house." He said, his voice shaky but okay. "We don't know how long we're going to be safe. No one knows if…." He stopped as I heard a scream on his end of the phone.

"Eddie?" I got no response, and the phone had hung itself up. "Eddie? Eddie!" My cousins looked at me with terrified eyes. I probably looked scared out of my mind too, I looked back at the TV and screamed. Among the people fading away and the heartless attacking and killing people, was the same guy I had met hours before. He had that evil grin on his face, and I felt like I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. The worst part, none of the Heartless seemed to notice him. They just scurried right past him, not even looking up at him.

My world was dying; that was clear. I didn't even move as the ground shook beneath me. The cheers and laughter turned into screams of terror, and all I could do was stand there, shell-shocked. The game was real, Kingdom Hearts was real, and now my world was ending before my eyes. We had nothing to defend ourselves. Even people who had been planning for the end of the world couldn't survive this without getting blasted into another world. My legs gave way as I sank to the ground. My cousins had locked the door and were huddling close to each other. Some cried out to me, and I could barely keep myself from shaking.

"It's going to be all right." I said, but my voice was weak from fear. I tried to sooth my cousins but then the roof was ripped above us, and we were caught in a wind. I tumbled about, holding onto my iPhone since it was the only thing I had left. I couldn't see my cousins, it was so dark, so cold. Am I dying? I turned on my phone to check the time. It was midnight. 'Happy New Year… the world has ended.' I thought, sinking into the darkness.

* * *

Anna:... so you destroyed my home? HOW IS THAT BETTER THAN THE EMOTIONAL TROUBLE YOU MADE ME GO THROUGH?!

Crystal: Sorry, Sorry, but hey, you're not a savior any more.

Belle: Welcome to the group of normals.

Nihil: Says the one who has a Gray Stu for a lover.

Belle: / Shut up!

Crystal: ANYWAY! Chapter 2: Rising Back, will be up shortly. I will also try to draw pictures of the changes to my characters for this series. Some characters turned into males.

Nihil: Oh, so you're giving more love to the sausage.

Crystal: Shut up, Nihil.


	2. Chapter 2: Rising Back

Crystal: And we are back!

Anna: That was quick...

Nihil: Don't claim. I want to get into the story but I have to wait until Chain of Memories.

Crystal: What was that?

Nihil: Nothing!

Crystal: Anyway, let us begin. Disclaimer time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If you like the original version of this fanfiction, it is still on this account. Please do not flame. If you dislike this story _**Stop Reading.**_ That is all.

* * *

Chapter 2: Rising Back

I feel warm blankets covering me as I lay on a soft bed. I can hear a fire in the room, but it didn't close nor did it seem deadly, I didn't smell smoke at least. I opened my eyes and sat up a little dazed. I expected to be in my room but instead, I was in someone else room. I was in a full-size bed, there was a tiny kitchen in the corner of the room, a small dinner table for two people in the center of the room, and a fireplace. A man sat there, his back to me, as he seemed to be stoking the fire. I looked down at myself and noticed I was wearing the same clothes from the New Years party: a dark pink sweater, white undershirt, and jeans.

"You awake, kid?" I jumped and looked to see the man looking at me over his shoulder. He looked to be in his late twenties, early thirties. He had dark hair, blue eyes, though they looked black since his irises seemed to take over all the colors other than white. He had this crazy look in his eyes that kind of freaked me out, but he just laughed. "Don't worry, kid. I won't do anything. You're new, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

"No one is found sitting in Districts Two or Three unless they have a death wish, let alone sleep." The man said, moving to the little kitchen area. "You hungry?"

"Um… no." I said, but my stomach betrayed me by growling. The man gave a booming laugh that almost made me jump again.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to poison you or anything." Then why even mention it? "Anyway, what's your name?"

"It's Anna." I said, getting out of bed. I decided not to say my last name just incase… but then again, if my family were to come here… No, right now I have to focus on what's around me. Besides, this man is a stranger, he could be a rapist for all I know.

"And let me guess, your world was destroyed by the Heartless. It's the only reason why you'd end up in this place." The man sounded a little sour at this and placed some soup in front of me.

"Thanks…." I said, eating the soup. It wasn't too bad, could use a bit more cream but it was good. "Um… so… Who are you?" The man looked at me carefully before answering.

"Artemis."

"What? Like the goddess of the hunt?" I asked, and Artemis sighed.

"You're not the only one who's said that. Yes like the goddess." Artemis sat across from me, a sudden serious look on his face. "So, you survived your world getting destroyed. I haven't seen anyone around here that's new so it looks like you may be the only survivor." I flinched at this news. Was I the only one to survive? My parents? Maggie? Eddie? Everyone? I didn't want to believe they were gone, but how else would you explain the whole thing. Artemis didn't seem phased by my silence and took a sip from his mug. "So… what are you going to do about it?"

"Huh?" His words seemed so far off that I wasn't even sure what he was talking about.

"What are you going to do now? Are you going to crawl in a hole and die or live on?" I just stared at him.

What kind of question was that? I was burning with the desire to do something. If this was the game, there is a way to save everyone, I just need to find the right people and then… I remembered the guy I had met before the attack and I needed to know who he was. He must be linked to the Heartless and the destruction of my home. I guess I got a weird look on my face because Artemis's face split into a grin. It looked a little creepy, but it wasn't too bad.

"Looks like you still got a bit of fire left in you." Artemis said and when he looked at me, for a second his eyes seemed to sadden a little. I couldn't place why but he stood up quickly. "Finish your soup. We're going shopping."

"Shopping?" I asked, confused but still ate my soup.

"For better clothes for fighting and also, a weapon for you to use." That got me excited. I know I can't use a keyblade, if I could, it would've come to me during the whole world destruction thing… or was Sora just that special case. Still, I'll have something to defend myself while in town. I just hope I don't have to wait too long for Sora and the others to arrive. Maybe their journey already started and I'd have to wait for them. I had finished my soup when Artemis spoke again, and looking up, I saw him giving me a stern look.

"You never asked what a Heartless was…." He said, his voice a little colder than before. "Who are you really? Are you working with the Heartless? With Maleficent?"

"Huh? What?! No!" I shouted, getting up. This guy's eyes seemed deadly now, he didn't have a weapon in his hand but this was his home. "Look, I'll tell you how I know about the Heartless… but you won't believe me." The guy had an annoyed look, and there seemed to be a certain…. edge to his eyes. He looked older, worn down like something had been weighing on him and still weighed on him.

"Try me."

"Okay, but I did warn you." I said and began.

I gave him all I knew, the Keyblades Wars, the plots of all the Kingdom Hearts Games I've played (which was all), and the monsters I know about (again, all). As I spot, Artemis's face seemed to change with every part I got to. From amazement at how much I knew about the Heartless and other monsters, to a sad expression the moment I mentioned the events of Birth by Sleep. I don't know why he would seem sad, but I continued on. It took at most an hour to explain everything… and that's the abridged version. By this time, Artemis was staring at me, not in a bad way. More like he was trying to decide on something.

"Um…."

"You're getting a sword."

"Huh?" I stared at Artemis as he stood up.

"Come on, we're getting you the stuff you need. Oh and here." He handed me a spear, its blade longer so it could be used for slashing.

"Wait, but I don't know how to use a spear!"

"Then learn. Sink or swim, kid." He said and opened the door leading out to the eternal night air.

Apparently, Artemis lives in that abandoned room in the Third District, which meant one thing. Heartless, Heartless, and… oh yeah, more Heartless. Since I didn't have a keyblade, it made my work harder since the Heartless would return after a few minutes. Artemis didn't seem to mind though, he fought with a katana (kind of odd but okay). He had the skill, that's for sure but then again, you have to be skilled in order to survive in this kind of environment. As for me… I can barely hold my own. I'm not good with a spear. Swords, I can do. I used to play a game called heroes and villains, which we had to use fake swords. Still… this is the real world… Well, now it's the real world.

When we finally made it to District One, I was exhausted. Artemis had to drag me towards the shops, and I took whatever was given to me. I ditched my sweater and jeans for what I think is a long blue cardigan that gets tied in the front with a ribbon, matching blue arm warmers, a white T-shirt, what looks to be a black skirt, and matching black short. The shoes I got in black shoes since that seemed to be the best pair in the store.

As for a weapon, that was harder. Artemis and I figured out I can't hold a very heavy sword without nearly chopping off my foot. I'm still not used to the spear and most weapons I've never even held before. Artemis looked a little frustrated and kept muttering how 'some people had simple lives' when I noticed a rapier. It was pretty interesting to look at, and it seemed to be perfect for me. Taking it, I felt it in my hand. The silver blade shined in the lamplight, the guard looked similar to a wing.

"I'll take this one." I said, turning to Artemis, who seemed to approve. I'm surprised he paid for my sword but hey, I don't have any money from this world, so it's for the best. As we got out of the store, we heard someone speak.

"Hey, Artemis. Who's your friend?" I looked and tried not to jump at the sight of Yuffie. I'm not used to this.

"Hey, what is it? I'm kind of busy."

"Sorry, but we found someone kind of important. He can use a keyblade." A Keyblade? That must be Sora! So this is the beginning of the game! Then there may be a chance for me to avenge my home! Artemis though, seemed a little unnerved by this news.

"That can't be… does this kid have silver hair?" I looked up at Artemis, confused. Silver hair? Did he mean Riku? Well, I did tell him what I knew earlier, but I had never said what hair color he had…

"Nope, it's a brown haired kid. Leon took him to the hotel." Yuffie said, noticing me and smiling. "And you're new, aren't you? How long have you been in town?"

"Just an hour or two actually." I said, shrugging. "Still getting used to things."

"Yuffie, you take Anna and explain things to her and the kid."

"Huh?" Yuffie had this confused look on her face as Artemis walked away suddenly. He seemed in an evident rush to leave, and I didn't understand why. Also, how did he know what Riku looked? It's not like they met before… right? "Geez, that guy always seems to drift off." Yuffie said, before looking at me. "Don't mind Artemis, he's been like that since we've known him."

"And how long have you known him?" I asked, curiously. Maybe I can get some info on his past. After all, I know nothing about him.

"My friends and I have known him for at least nine years now, since we arrived here when our home world was destroyed." Yuffie said, and stuck out a hand to me with a wide grin on her face. "Anyway, I'm the Great Ninja Yuffie."

"I'm Anna, Anna Daang, the newbie."

Yuffie laughed, taking my hand and honestly, I liked Yuffie a lot. I've never played many of the classic Final Fantasy games and a part of me doesn't want to but seeing Yuffie in Kingdom Hearts and how happy she was among those who escaped to Traverse Town was actually kind of nice. She wasn't brooding or angry about the fact that her home was destroyed, she just tried to live. She has to be one of my favorite Final Fantasy characters moved into the Kingdom Hearts games just because of that… well… Next to Cid. I wonder if he has the Cid Cannon like in the manga.

Anyway, Yuffie took me to the Green Room at the Hotel, and Sora was still unconscious on the bed. It looked like he took a bit of a beating. Then again, he was going up against Squall, why they call him Leon in the game I have no idea. Sadly, Leon wasn't anyway, probably helping Aerith get back to the Inn with Donald and Goofy.

"Ugh!" Yuffie groaned, running her fingers through her hair. "He said he wasn't going to leave the kid alone."

"His name is Sora…." I said, and Yuffie looked to me.

"Huh? How'd you know that?"

"Just stuff I know."

"Right…." Yuffie said, suddenly getting suspicious of me. "Anyway, I'm gonna wait outside for Leon. Try not to wake him up, okay?"

"Got it." I nodded, and Yuffie walked out the door. I took a seat on a spare chair, looking at Sora. Looking at him closely, it was clear he was just at the point of puberty. In the game, it was clear that Riku already hit that age, and maybe Sora is a late bloomer. Kairi still had that childlike bit to her, and maybe that's why I can never see her and Riku together. Even as a child, I always though Riku trying to get Kairi back was because he was the only friend he had as well as he was kind of a little sister to him.

"Ugh…." I nearly jumped to see Sora slowly coming to. He looked up at me with a slightly confused look, but he seemed pretty much okay. Sitting up and shaking his head, he looks at me a little clearer.

"You okay?" I asked, looking at him carefully. I wonder if he sees Kairi or me?

"I guess…" Sora said, a little dazed but at least he can form a sentence.

"Those dark creatures that attacked you, they're after the keyblade. It's that weapon you got." I said, my arms crossed. "But really, what they want is your heart. It's strong enough to use a keyblade and the stronger the heart, the more value it has. You've got a lot on your shoulders, you know."

"I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi." Sora said, and he smiled a little.

"Sorry, wrong person." I said, and Sora seemed to snap out of it. He looked at me with confused eyes, but I held out a hand to him. "I'm Anna, nice to meet you."

"Funny how you know about the Heartless…" I turned to see Leon and Yuffie walk in, both of them looked at me not with suspicion now, but with curiosity. I wondered about this until Leon spoke. "Artemis came and told me everything about you. I can't believe your world knew all of this was happening."

"Yeah, well… we didn't think it was real." I admitted, rubbing my neck and my cheeks going red. The way he said that… it felt like he was accusing my world of not helping anyone. None of us knew this whole thing was real. If we did, it would've made sense why people were prepping for the end of the world. Sora on the other hand was looking at the keyblade that was resting against the wall.

"The keyblade…"

"Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out, that's how they were tracking you." Yuffie said, taking a seat on the bed.

"It was the only way to conceal your heart from them, but it won't work for long." Leon said, picking up the keyblade, which looked small in his hand. "Still, hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." Leon swings the keyblade back, but it instantly appears in Sora's hands once more in a flash of light. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"Why don't you start making sense? What's going on here?" Sora demanded, frowning at us.

"I think Anna should explain." Yuffie said, smiling at me. "I want to see how much she knows about what's going on." Well, this was kind of on the spot but… I guess I got no choice.

"Okay, there are other worlds out there, many of them and they weren't connected until a few years ago." I started, trying to word everything right so that I wouldn't freak out Sora. "Before then, all the worlds lived without knowing each other's existence. Now, the Heartless have changed all that."

"The Heartless?" Sora asked, as I nodded.

"Those monsters that attacked you. I'm sure you saw them in your world before you were sent here." I said, and Sora nodded. He seemed to hang on my every word and actually, I kind of liked it. It was kind of fun to give a main character the exposition he needed. "You see, they are attracted by the darkness within people's hearts. I won't say they are without hearts since if you destroy Heartless with emblems on them, they'll produce a heart… if you use a keyblade to defeat them."

"That, I did not know…" Leon said, actually looking mildly interested.

"The worst part is… there is darkness in everyone's heart." I said, and Leon frowned at that.

"Hey, have you ever heard of someone named Ansem?" Yuffie asked, and I nodded.

"No." Sora said, shaking his head before looking at me. "Who is he anyway?" I guess he got used to me talking and knowing more so I just continued on though my throat was hurting a bit.

"He was a scientist who was studying the Heartless. Like most, he wrote reports of them but those have been scattered when his world was destroyed." I said, not mentioning that the reports were made by a person pretending to be Ansem and that the world wasn't destroyed. Why didn't I say it? It's because I didn't know who was watching this. For all I know, Maleficent and her squad of villains were watching me and wondering how I know about all this. "Still, there's one kind of weapon that can really destroy the Heartless… and it's a special key." I looked to Sora, and he held up his keyblade.

"Really? This thing can destroy Heartless?"

"Yep." Yuffie said, nodding. It was simple, and it was kind of funny that bashing the Heartless with a giant key can make them go away.

"The Heartless have great fear of the keyblade, that's why they'll keep coming after you, no matter what." Leon added, waving his hand dismissively.

"Well, I didn't ask for this."

"The keyblade chooses it's master, and it chose you."

"So, tough luck." Leon said, and I frowned at him. If only he knew when Sora got the keyblade. It wasn't the best timing.

"How did all this happen? I remember being in my room…" It suddenly hit Sora, and he jumped off the bed, in shock and fear. "Wait! What happened to my home?! My island!? Riku?! Kairi?!" That last part, when he said Kairi's name, his voice got a little weaker, sadder… Maybe he didn't realize he was smitten with the redhead right now. I gave him a small pat on the shoulder and gave him an understanding look.

"It's okay; I get where you're coming from. I'm still a little shocked I lost my home world too."

"You did?" I nodded as Sora sat down again.

"Yeah, I arrived in Travers Town about two hours ago."

"It does seem you know a lot about the keyblade…." I looked to Leon, who hadn't moved from his spot on the wall this whole time. He looked at me through the corner of his eye, but it didn't seem anything bad. "I expect you to teach him what you know about the keyblade then."

"Wait, what?" I asked, shocked. "Hold on, you can't set this on me. I'm still new to the fighting thing."

"Then I can help you with that." Sora said, giving me a small smile. "I've been fighting since I was a kid… though that was more for fun."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem." Leon said, and I could swear he was smirking. I haven't really fought with my new rapier! Why are they throwing me into the fire so quickly?! If this is a way to teach me how to fight in a life-death situation, I may end up dying! Before I could argue anymore, Yuffie cried out, and a Soldier Heartless appeared in the room.

"Yuffie, go!" Leon shouted, getting his gun blade and swinging at the Heartless. The Heartless crashed through the window before fading away. "Sora, Anna! Let's go!" Leon shouted, running out the back door and jumping from the second floor to the alley.

"He's insane, totally nuts…" I said, following Sora outside onto the balcony.

"Hey, there are some crates here. You can climb down on those." Sora said, and started climbing down.

"Okay, that works but that doesn't explain Leon going all hero stunt." I said, climbing down after Sora.

"Stop talking and get fighting!" Leon shouted, and really, I'm not liking him at all.

Sora and Leon did a pretty good job at fighting the Heartless since both had experience. Me? I have a hard time beating one Heartless! I'm not used to fighting with a rapier to begin with. I've fought with plastic samurai swords as a child and ever since then; my parents haven't let me near any weapon-like toys. They didn't even buy me water guns, and I'd have to get it from friends. I keep hearing Leon shout at me that a rapier was a stabbing weapon, and I started making a system of fighting: lunge, stab, jump back, move to the side, and stab again. I'm so glad now I'm fast at moving away. I was part of the sprint in the Track Team, and I can move quickly but while carrying a rapier and fighting for my life? Well, if I get back home… if it reforms, then Mom can't say I'm not healthy.

"Don't bother with the small fry." Leon said as we finished off the last of the Heartless, only for more to arrive. "Find the leader! Let's go!" Leon ran off, and we ran after him to the end of the alley where a door was. "I need to keep the First District safe. I'll leave the leader to you guys."

"Wait, you're leaving the leader of the Heartless to a bunch of kids?! Are you insane?!" I shouted, but Leon was already gone. At this point… I really lost it. "Agh! What is he thinking?! We're just kids! It's still going to be hard to be a large Heartless the size of a house!"

"Um… Anna, you may need to calm down." Sora said, but I didn't say anything.

"Let's keep fighting a bit more. I need more training."

"Um… okay."

We fought against smaller Heartless for about an hour. Taking breaks and resting up when we got the chance to but I needed this. I've gotten kind of used to using my rapier now and I've destroyed a lot of Heartless now. It's not to Leon standard, but I'm at least to Sora's level of skill, or at least just below him. Even Sora said I was getting better, but that was right before we got ambushed by another group of Heartless. By the end of it, we were sweaty, yes, but I think we were warmed up enough to fight against the boss, Armorer Guard.

"Come on, let's go to District Three." I said, running towards the alley where the district door was.

"Huh? Why there?"

"We haven't been there yet. It's obvious the leader is there." I reasoned, and we entered through the doors.

The district was actually rather quiet. Nothing popped out at us, but no one was around. Walking down to the main square of the district, it was shocking no one was there… I didn't even hear Donald or Goofy talking. Did we come too early? I heard a bang and shouting above me, looking up in time to jump as Donald and Goofy fell on Sora with a loud thud. I was surprised I didn't hear anything crack; I was expecting that fall to at least crack or break a few of Sora's ribs, but I only got a groan from the trio.

"Sora! Are you okay?!" I shouted, pulling the two animals off of Sora. They didn't seem bothered by me pulling them up, they were just staring at Sora's keyblade.

"The key!" Sora was about to say something when we felt the ground rumble below us.

"An earthquake?" Sora asked, quickly getting up.

"No, it's not." I said, and before I can explain my reasoning, walls appeared at the exists of the square as a bunch of Soldier Heartless appeared. I always wondered how the walls suddenly appeared. Did the Heartless get control of some lever or machine to randomly make stonewalls? I stuck closer to Donald during this battle since… he's a distance fighter, and once he ran out of magic, he's kind of useless. Sora stayed by Goofy, and they actually made a pretty good team. Goofy is good at both defense and offense and was usually there when Sora nearly gets attacked by a claw or something.

With the four of us together, we actually beat the gang of Heartless in about five minutes. I guess I've gotten better with my rapier, and I was happy to at least get used to some form of combat. I only had about one minute of rest before something just fell out of the sky, and the four of us jumped back in shock. Looking, we saw the Armored Guard Heartless, formed before us and ready to battle us. Looking at it, my rapier was beginning to look like a stick. Still, I shouted out orders.

"Donald, Goofy, back us up! We have to destroy one part of the armor at a time!"

"How do you know that?"

"Just trust me!" I shouted noticing the Armored Guard separating, and I could see the arms. "Sora, let's attack the arms!"

"Got it!"

Slashing and stabbing the arms were easy; it was the remaining body parts that really ticked me off. Goofy was good at blocking a few attacks but when the body would be blocked, the feet would try and stomp us out of existence. A few times, either Sora or I would be sent flying or get the wind knocked out of us, and Donald would have to use a Cure spell on us. I guess the actual world of Kingdom Hearts doesn't depend on levels and amount of worlds completed to get certain spells…. Okay, I really like.

Because of this, it took maybe, maybe ten minutes for us beat Armored Guard and is it just me or did that seem a bit easy. Was it because of Sora's keyblade or is the Heartless weaker than I originally thought. We watched as the heart within the armor flew away, but I also noticed that as the heart flew, it was soon captured by darkness. 'Guess the Organization is collecting hearts even now.' I thought grimly. I wondered if we'd meet Xemnas in this version. It was implied that Xemnas did have an encounter with Sora, which was explained in the Final Mix version of the game.

"That was quite impressive." I turned to see Artemis walking over. He wasn't wearing his brown outfit from earlier, in fact, he was dressed in yellow. An odd choice but whatever, it's his choice if he wants to walk around like a moving target. "I see you're getting used to the rapier."

"Well, still rusty but I'll manage." I say, looking over my shoulder to see Sora, Donald, and Goofy talking. If I want to get my world back and see if I can find my friends and family, I'll have to follow them… but will they let me in? Artemis seemed to notice this and patted me on the shoulder.

"Listen kid, I can help you with something if you'd like… but you gotta travel with those guys. When you come back, and you're still in one piece, I'll teach you something special."

"Huh?" I looked carefully at Artemis, but he didn't say anything else.

"Hey, Anna, you okay?" I turned to Sora, who looked at me with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I answer, walking over to him before looking to the talking animals. "So, you were looking for Sora this whole time." It wasn't a question, but Donald just nodded.

"They too have been seeking the wielder of the keyblade." I nearly jumped out of my skin, noticing Leon and Yuffie.

"Hey, why don't you come with us? We can go to other worlds on our vessel." Goofy offered.

"I wonder if I could find Riku and Kairi…." Sora said glumly, and I patted his shoulder.

"I'm sure you will. Try to cheer up, okay?" I said, gently. We're in the same boat, I think I'd be just as depressed as Sora if I were put into the same state and having no idea what was going on. Sora looked up at me and gave me one of his goofy smiles.

"You're right, thanks, Anna." Leon looked to Sora and me before stepping up.

"Sora, Anna, go with them. Especially if you want to find your friends." Leon said, and I nodded.

"Okay, thanks."

"Whoa, hold on a minute! You can't come!" Donald shouted, glowering at me.

"And why not? We're all looking for something, aren't we? Why not work together to help achieve our goals, I think it'll make things faster." I suggested, and Sora nodded.

"Yeah, besides, Anna's a friend of mine. I'm not going to leave without her." I looked to Sora, shocked at what he just said.

"I…. I am?"

"Well, yeah," Sora said, looking at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You did help me back there and seem to be pretty nice. Besides, we make a good team." He swung his arm over my shoulder, and I grinned back. Okay, this is really cool… yet touching. For one thing, I'm liked by the main character of the Kingdom Hearts series! This would've been the best day ever. Second, he's known me for maybe an hour, and he wants to be my friend. It could be the fact that we're trying to survive; we bond quickly through life and death situations or his child like naiveté but still, its kind of nice.

Donald groaned, clearly not happy with this whole thing, but Goofy seemed happy to have me along. Then again Donald was always crabby, even in the cartoons he was in, the only time he wasn't crabby was when he was in that Disney short when he played a Nazi factory worker… and no, I'm not kidding. Look it up. After about five minutes of Donald groaning and grumbling, he finally stopped and looked at us.

"Okay, you guys can come. But you can't come along looking like that. Understand?" Donald stated, mostly to Sora. "No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"

"Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us." Goofy had chimed in before Donald pushed his face away.

"This boat runs on happy faces." Donald concluded, and I looked to Sora. His usual smile wasn't there but again, understandable.

"Happy?"

"Yeah, try smiling." I suggest, and Sora just looked down at his shoes for a moment before looking up with the forced smile I would sometimes see in Disneyland workers. That alone caused me to burst out laughing and even through my laugh I can hear Donald, Goofy, and Yuffie laughing.

"That's one funny face!"

"It looks like one of those smiles clowns have!" I laughed, trying to not fall over. Finally, he stopped grinning like a clown and looked at us with his normal smile.

"Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys."

"Donald Duck."

"Name's Goofy."

"I'm Sora."

"And I'm Anna." We said and put our hands together.

"All for one and one for all." Goofy said, and I couldn't help but think back to the Dream Drop Distance game. Goofy, Donald, and Mickey were in the Three Musketeers… maybe that's where he got the phrase from. Still, I guess with the four of us… we are like the original musketeers.

We soon got ready for our journey, Leon and the others giving us supplies and I got to meet Cid briefly, but we didn't exactly talk. Still, was we left to go to the Gummi Ship, I looked back to see Artemis there and….

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes as wide as plates. He raised his hand in the air, and it was a keyblade. A yellow and black one but still a keyblade. How? Why? What? So many questions ran through my head, but I looked at his face and I got a message just from his expression.

'Get ready, kid. When you get back, you'll see.'

"Hey, come on, we gotta go!" Donald shouted, and I quickly followed into the Gummi Ship and we took off for our next world. As I watched Traverse Town slowly turn into a speck in the distance, I wondered… if Artemis had a keyblade this whole time why didn't he go to Donald and Goofy for this adventure? What was Artemis hiding?

**_Elsewhere_**

A group of shadowy figures watch what seem to be a hologram of Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Anna. They frowned at Sora's image but looked curiously at Anna as they watched the group smiling and laughing.

"That little squirt took down that Heartless! Who'd have thought it!" A man with flaming blue hair grunted, being reminded of a similar upstart that was a thorn in his side for the last few decades.

"Such is the power of the keyblade, the child's strength is not his own." A slithering but calm voice said, clearly not phased by what had happened.

"Why don't we turn him into a Heartless?" An octopus woman cackled. "That'll settle things quick enough."

"And the brat's friends are the king's lackey's." A hooked man said, growling. "Swoggle me eyes, they're all bilge rats but the look of them."

"You're not prize yourself."

"Shut up!"

"Enough!" The villains stopped bickering as a woman dressed all in black and horns spoke, approaching the group. "The keyblade has chosen him. Will it be he who conquers the darkness or will the darkness swallow him? Either way he could be quite useful."

"But what about the girl? She knew about the weakness of that Heartless easily." The octopus woman asked, crossing her arms and fuming a bit. "It's no fun seeing them able to plan an attack so quickly."

"We should keep an eye on her. I see a lot of potential in her…" The horned woman said before turning to a young man, dress in a fur-lined hoodie, standing against the wall and smirked. "Don't you think so, Apollo?"

The young man smirked, a knowing smirk as he looked down at the little figure of Anna. If he had known she would be entangled in this web, he would've toyed with her a little more. "Yes, I think she'll be every interesting."

* * *

Anna: Wait, I don't have a keyblade?

Crystal: well, yes. You need to learn more and get stronger before I will give you a keyblade!

Nihil: So wait, Artemis is Lunar? So... Lunar had an operation?

Artemis: Hey, I'm not Lunar. I'm my own person.

Crystal: Exactly, anyway, Chapter 3: Not So Wonderful will be up soon as possible. Anyway, See you guys later!


	3. Chapter 3: Not So Wonderful

Crystal: And we are back!

Anna: Um... don't you have homework, Crystal.

Crystal: Don't bring real life into this!

Nihil: you're one to talk.

Grace: Can we just start? *has popcorn ready*

Crystal: right. Also, I got a question wondering who the person was in chapter 1 and if he was young Xehanort... He is not. If you read chapter 2, his name is mentioned at the end with the villains talking. I actually hope to write one villain piece at the end of every chapter so that way there is something for you guys to know what's happening on the other side. Also, I am trying add things from the manga so bare with me if things seem a bit rushed. Not only that, I would like to address a review I was given. No, Anna did not go into Birth by Sleep. Also Artemis is Lunar! For those who do not know, Artemis is the goddess of the moon... I gave her/him a different back story and really its needed. I found too many plot holes inside the whole destiny keeper idea so no more of that. So expect Artemis's story to be explained in Birth By Sleep. That one and everything else, I'm excited for. Anyway, time for disclaimers!

Disclaimers: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If you do not like this version but prefer my old fanfiction for Kingdom Hearts, you can still read that. If you do not like this story period, do not read it. There is the back button to use if you want to leave. And Please, no flames.

* * *

Chapter 3: Not so Wonderful

I never realized how long it would actually take to get to other worlds. Honestly, I can imagine it would've been shorter if all the worlds were around and we'd make pit stops now and then… but space just seems…. Well… emptier than usual. I barely saw anything but stars out in the black nothingness and at least once a day we'd have to fight Heartless ships coming our way. The living quarters of the Gummi Ship were actually really good, and I soon got used to living, bathing, cooking, and all the chores. It was like living on one of those planes that have beds…. No… better example yacht or something like it.

We made a few rules on the days we were getting use to ship life, we'd each switch around cooking, cleaning, and flying… though Sora wasn't allowed to fly the ship after he nearly crashed into an asteroid. Still, it took us about a week for us to get to the first world. Looking out the window… I could see a lot of pink on the floating dot in the middle of space, and I knew it was Wonderland.

"Well, time to disembark." Donald said, jumping out of the pilot's seat and going to the hatch where we would get off.

"Hold on! We're still in the air!" Sora shouted as we ran after him and Goofy.

"Sora's right! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!" I shouted too as the two looked at us smiling.

"Don't worry." Donald said, smiling. "We're perfectly safe. I got my magic and…."

"You're in mid air and you didn't cast any spells!" Sora shouted, pointing to the ground as Donald and Goofy exited the ship. At once, they fell and since Sora grabbed onto Goofy and I grabbed onto Sora, we fell down after them.

**"Do you guys have some kind of death wish?!"** I shouted as we fell. I'm not sure how but suddenly we started to float down instead of outright falling. In the Disney film, as well as other version, I think, the reason Alice floated was because her dress acted like a parachute. Us? We had nothing like that.

"Um… how are we floating?" Sora asked me, flapping his arms a bit as if he was trying to fly.

"I don't know, I'm as clueless as you right now." I said, getting into a sitting position with my legs crossed and letting the cardigan flow behind me like a cape. "Still, I guess this is kind of fun. I can now say I know what it feels like to float in the air."

"It's also relaxing." Goofy yawned and got into a comfortable position. "I'm going to take a nap… Wake me up when we land."

"This is no time for naps!" Donald shouted, looking like he was flying… flying down that is. I could almost laugh at the sight of Donald, waving his arms and yelling at Goofy, he kind of looked like a very angry chicken. Still, I looked down to see the ground, and we landed softly…. Except for Goofy, who landed with a thud. I was about to ask if he was okay when someone crashed into Donald and full speed and ran off.

"I'm late! I'm late!" A voice shouted that seemed to be coming from a white and red blur as it sprinted down the hall. If Donald was mad earlier, he was furious now.

"Why'd he have to do that!? Get back here!" Donald shouted, running after the White Rabbit before we can stop him.

"What…. What just happened?" Sora asked, helping Goofy up.

"A white rabbit, wearing a coat and a watch bumped into Donald and didn't stop." I answered as Sora nodded.

"Yes, I know that but why?"

"No idea." I say, shrugging. "We need to follow them anyway." We did and having to crawl into the Bizarre Room, we see Donald pulling at a tiny door.

"Gee, Donald. What are you doing?" Goofy asked, pulling a fuming Donald away from the door.

"I'm trying to open the door but it won't budge." Donald said as Sora opened the door.

"But how did he get into the door, it's so small." Sora said, looking at it carefully.

"Now, now, it's just you're simply too big." Donald, Goofy, and Sora jumped, but I saw the face there before they did. I knew it was always there, so I guess that doesn't count.

**"IT TALKS?!"** Donald asked, shocked. I think he finally realized he was pulling at someone's nose, and the look on his face was priceless.

"Yes, and you didn't have to try to yank my nose off. You woke me up." The Doorknob answered, looking rather annoyed.

"Oh, good morning," Goofy said, waving good-naturedly.

"Good night! I need a bit more sleep." The Doorknob yawned and seemed to get ready to settle back into sleep and probably avoid the pain of dealing with Donald.

"What! What do we have to do to grow small?" Sora asked, getting on his hands and knees to get right in the Doorknob's face.

"Why don't you try the bottle, over there." We turned to look behind us to see a table that wasn't there before with two bottles on it. I looked at them carefully; I don't remember which one had the shrinking potion and which one had the growing one. Both were labeled 'drink me' and that could lead to all sorts of problems. I pick up one to examine carefully, all the while I can hear the lines Alice said in the movie.

_"If one drinks too much from a bottle marked poison…."_

My thoughts were interrupted by Sora taking the other bottle and drinking it. I had just enough time to drink the bottle in my hand to jump out of the way as Sora grew and nearly taking up the whole room. I can hear Donald's muffled yelling and Goofy freaking out. Poor Sora looked ready to panic, and I had to shout at the top of my lungs to get my point across.

"Why the hell did you drink that bottle?! You didn't know what was in it!" I shouted though I think it may not be enough. I was about maybe two inches high now.

"I'm sorry!" Sora shouted, trying to adjust himself. "But how did you get small?"

"I drank the other potion." I say, holding out the bottle. "Goofy, give Sora this so he can shrink to the right size. I'm going to go on ahead."

"Gwarsh, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm small enough to make it." I say, and start crawling towards the bed rather than the sleeping door. How he was able to sleep I'll have no idea but I managed to squeeze into a crack between the bedpost and the wall to get to a small entrance that I knew would lead to the Queen of Heart's courtroom.

Walking through the tunnel, it was completely dark but I could hear something in the distance. A pipe? Some kind of wind instrument but I didn't know what that means. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel when the music stops suddenly. I turn behind me, and I notice a figure standing into the darkness but the shadows hid the figure's appearance. I don't know how long I stared but after maybe three minutes, the figure spoke.

"Doesn't seem like that song works on you… I wonder which one will…"

"Wha…" I noticed a dark portal open behind the figure, and it slipped away with ease. Okay, that was freaky but the voice…. The voice sounds so familiar, and it sent a chill down my spine. I can't place a name on the voice, but I know I've heard it before.

"Anna?" I jumped and noticed Sora, Donald, and Goofy walking up to me. "What are you doing? I thought you went further ahead."

"I… um…." I say, but I was at a loss for words for that one moment. We didn't say anything though, we heard sounds coming from the end of the tunnel.

"Let's just keep going. I don't like being in here." Donald says, walking ahead of us to the light. I had to shield my eyes a bit as we enter the bright outdoor courtroom. The trumpets played as I see the White Rabbit, dressed in his uniform stands on a stand.

"Court is now in session!"

"I'm on trial? But why?" I looked to see Alice, and I was started to hear her voice. It sounded so much like her voice from the movie rather than the high pitch version done by the original voice actress.

"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding." The White Rabbit announced, and I looked at the Queen of Hearts. Of all things to have changed in the Kingdom Hearts series, she hadn't changed one bit. She was both comical yet threatening… and being alive and real before me, the thoughts of her shouting for my head made me kind of scared. This is now real life, after all. I jumped at the loud voice of the queen as she began.

"This girl is the culprit. There's no doubt about it. And the reason is… **BECAUSE I SAY SO, THAT'S WHY!**"

"But that is so unfair!" Alice shouted, trying to show reason.

"Well, have you anything to say in your defense?" The Queen asked, almost gently, but it seemed a bit mocking.

"Of course. I've done absolutely nothing wrong. You may be queen, but I don't believe that gives you the right to be so…. So mean." Alice reasoned, and this is why I like Alice of all the Princesses of Heart, including Kairi.

**"SILENCE! YOU ARE DEFY ME!"** The Queen shouted, slamming her fists onto the table before her.

"Um, guys? We should go help her." Sora said, and I nodded.

"I agree, this trial isn't fair at all." I agreed. "I mean, there's no proof this girl is guilty."

"Yeah, but um…" Donald started, but Goofy continued.

"We're outsiders, so wouldn't that be muddling?"

"Meddling!"

"Oh right, and that's against the rules." Goofy said as I looked at Alice but then got distracted, I noticed a person standing in the jury box. Most were animals, but one of them was human… a very familiar human. A young man with dark hair, yellow eyes, dressed in dark jeans and a black fur-lined jacket sat there with a smug look. My stomach started to feel like it was plunging into a pit of fear. It's that same guy from the attack on my world! The one who could walk among the Heartless! What is he doing here?! I was about to suggest for us to run when I heard the order 'off with her head' for trying to steal the queen's heart and Alice crying out in protest.

"Hold it right there!" Sora shouted running into the trial, and I fought the urge to facepalm. So much for not meddling, then again, I can't blame him.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere with my court!" The Queen shouted, but I decided to play along.

"We are this girl's attorneys!" I shout as a few of the card soldiers started whispering to each other. "This girl is innocent; she didn't try to steal your heart, my queen."

"Yeah, it's the Heartl…" Donald quickly covered Goofy's mouth before he could spill anymore.

"Anyway, she's not the one you're looking for." Sora quickly covered for Goofy gesturing to Alice.

"That's nonsense, have you any proof?" The Queen asked and before I could stop myself I spoke.

"Do you have any proof this girl tried to steal your heart other than the whole 'because I say so' excuse?" Well, I dug my own grave. I was thrown into the cramped birdcage with Alice and locked inside. Why did I have to open my mouth? Oh right, because I don't seem to have an off switch, or it's faulty.

"Bring me evidence of Alice's innocence! Fail and it's all off with your heads!" The Queen ordered and glared over at me. "I will keep your friend as insurance. "Gather as much or little evidence as you please. Report back here once you're ready."

I sighed, letting Alice stand in the front of the cage to talk to Sora but instead, she looked to me with a grateful smile.

"Thank you for trying to help me, I'm Alice." I smiled back but inside, I was having a fangirl dance. I love Alice in Wonderland and to see Alice actually talking to me and not some actor at Disneyland, this is a dream come true. Aside from the fact that we may die if Sora, Donald, and Goofy don't get this right.

"I'm Anna, it's nice to meet you." I can see Sora and the others standing by and about to speak. "Alice, these are my friends. Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Guys, this is Alice."

"Pleased to meet you." Alice said, inclining her head politely to the boys. "Though, I do wish it were under better circumstances. I'm sorry you got mixed up in this nonsense."

"Why are you on trial in the first place?" Sora asked as Alice shook her head.

"I should like to know the very same thing. Apparently I was guilty from the moment I took the stand." Alice said, as I nodded.

"Well, the queen doesn't seem to be the brightest person on the planet to know who's guilty and who is not." I say, shrugging. "The real point is to get out of here and get somewhere safe."

"So, where are you from?" Sora asked, but Alice shook her head. She seemed deep in thought, trying to piece her mind together.

"Hmm…. Curious. I can't quite remember." She says, opening her eyes to look at us. "You see, I found this mysterious rabbit hole. When I tried to peek inside, I tumbled in head over heels… and I found myself here."

"You're from another world?!" Sora asked, shocked.

"That's funny. Maybe you don't need a ship, then." Goofy said, grinning but Donald frowned.

"I don't get it."

"What do you mean? Another world?" Alice asked, but the card guard moved his spear.

"Enough! The defendant will remain silent!" Begrudgingly, the guys left, leaving Alice alone with me. I sighed, leaning back on the wall and closing my eyes. There was hardly any room for us to sit with the two of us in the cage. Still, Alice looked at me with a curious look.

"What did he mean by another world?"

"Oh um…." I rub my neck nervously. "Well…. Would you really believe me if I told you?"

"I think after all this, I'll believe you. And you did try to save me and your clothes don't seem to be normal." I look at my clothes and Alice's with a slight blush.

"Well, as adorable as your outfit it, it's not good when fighting monsters."

"M… monsters? You mean those shadow creatures?" I stared at Alice, shocked.

"Yeah, have you seen them around?"

"Yes." Alice nodded and hung on her every word.

Maybe I'll learn something important. I mean, Maleficent wanted to only capture the Princesses of Heart, yet Kairi lost hers during the fall of the islands. As Alice told me about her experiences, I made a note of what she said about her experience before the trial. She noticed the Heartless almost moving her towards the Queen of Hearts palace. So maybe the Heartless are under control… but from who? I think the person would need to be in the world to keep them in line. After all, Heartless supposedly act on instinct.

I'm not sure how long we talked, but Sora returned with a few boxed in hand. I think he managed to get all the evidence, and I was pleased. Even without me, he'll be able to find stuff on his own. He's got Donald and Goofy to help him out, but I wonder if the Cheshire Cat had anything else in this. The cat after all didn't seem to be on anyone's side. In fact, I could actually see him on the heart hedge, getting comfortable for the trial.

"Are you guys okay?" Sora asked, as I nodded.

"Yeah, I've got so much to tell you. It's about…" I try to say, but the card guard cut me off.

"No talking, I already stated that." The card man scolded and pulled a lever and a thick curtain separated Alice and me from the rest of the trial.

"Oh man, come on!" I shouted, but no one answered me. It sucks that I can't help Sora and the others fight off the cards and save Alice, but I'm stuck in the same situation as her? Not only that, I can feel my skin crawling now that we're in the dark. After what happened to my world, I really don't like being in the dark. 'Well, I'm less likely to get myself hurt while fighting the cards I guess.' I think with a sigh.

We can hear Sora making his case and getting a Heartless box to show the queen, and all hell breaks loose. As I hear the battle below going on, I also hear something echo in the now enclosed cage. Music, the same pipe music I heard earlier. This time the song was different, the tune sounded more playful but also a bit alluring: every note seeming to entice the listener. I just listened, wondering where the sound was coming since there's no entrance into the cage, but I can feel Alice's presence leave my side. That's when I notice the wind behind us. I turn quickly, trying to grab onto Alice's hands, but she was already gone.

"Alice!" I shout for her, but she didn't return. The music continued to play on, but it soon got fainter and just disappeared altogether. I realized what had happened, and I kicked the cage wall in frustration. Alice was kidnaped right beside me, and I didn't do anything about it! Moreover, what's with that music? I always thought that Riku was the one to take Alice but… that doesn't seem to be the case here. I didn't have time to think about this. The cage was soon lowered, revealing only me and that made the Queen furious.

**"WHAT?! WHERE IS ALICE!?"** The Queen roared as the cage door opened.

"I'm sorry, your majesty," I really wasn't sorry, "But she somehow vanished. I…"

**"I DON'T CARE HOW YOU FIND HER! JUST FIND HER OR OFF WITH ALL YOUR HEADS!"** The Queen bellowed, and I looked to Sora. We didn't hesitate. We ran for our lives like a bunch of cowards. Like I want my adventure to end with my head cut off by the Queen of Hearts of all things. Once we made it to the woods, Sora and the others looked straight at me.

"What happened to Alice?"

"I don't know." I say, shrugging. "After we were closed off by that curtain, all seemed okay. Then this music began to play, and I don't know. Alice just walked away from me. It's like…." I stopped. I remembered the story of the Pied Piper and how he used his music to lure the children away from the town. Disney didn't do a good version of that story, but that was the only explanation I had. Goofy seemed to notice my look and spoke.

"You got an idea about this?"

"Yes, she…"

"Was whisked away by a piper." I jumped and hid behind Donald. The Cheshire Cat had materialized right next to my ear.

"Don't do that!" I shouted, glaring at the floating cat. I love the Cheshire Cat; really I do. But when he is being a meanie to me, I really could forget my fan love.

"Have you seen Alice?" Sora asked as the Cheshire Cat vanished and placed himself on a nearby rock.

"Alice? No. Shadows? Yes."

"Well, where did they go?"

"This way, that way? Does it matter?" The Cheshire Cat asked loftily, and I can understand now why Alice was so annoyed with him in the movie. He can't really give straight answers to save his nine lives. "Left, right, up, down! All mixed up thanks to the shadows. Step deeper into the forest to the deserted garden. You might find shadows in the upside down room."

"The upside down room?" Donald asked as we walked through the forest.

"It's just an upside down version of the room we entered with the talking doorknob." I say, shrugging. "I'm sure you've seen that room a few times while looking for the evidence." All the guys looked at me like I just grew a second head.

"How did you know that?" Sora asked, and I told them everything. No real point in hiding it since I don't think even my knowledge of the game is enough. Now with this strange pied piper I have yet to meet. I wonder if the caterpillar is here so I can ask him questions, at least talking with him may give me some answers I need. I think I must've had a troubled look on my face because he patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry, we won't judge you for what you know. In fact, it could help us." Sora says and leans into whisper. "Do you know where Kairi is?"

"Yes I do." I say, nodding and getting back to the problems at hand. "But for now, let's say she's closer than you think." I didn't want to tell him right now since the darkness is always watching. If I slip up, Sora could be in really big trouble, and I don't want the main character dying on me a week into our adventure. Plus, I need him to see if any of my friends and family made it on to other worlds.

It didn't take too long to plow through the mob of Heartless and make it to the upside down Bizarre Room. There I got my first magic lesson but I don't think magic is for me. It takes a lot of concentration to even just make one flame, and my mind is all over the place now. So, I worked more with Goofy in fighting the Heartless while Sora and Donald lit the lamps. I find I'm pretty good at fast fighting, hitting a few strikes and moving away in time to dodge an attack. I'll have to thank my sprinting coach for this. Just as Goofy and I finished off the Heartless, the Cheshire Cat appeared again.

"All the lights are on. You'll see the shadows soon. They'll arise in this room but somewhere else." Cheshire said. Maybe it's because I know the game and what's going to happen but he is actually talking about for a change. "The shadows might go after the doorknob, too."

Okay, that one I frowned at. How did the Cheshire Cat know where the door to the world was? Moreover, did he tell anyone about the door to the world? I'm starting to wonder if the Cheshire cat is really doing more harm than good. Donald seemed to understand something wasn't right because he was just as serious as we made our way back to the room and followed my instructions. Once we got to the Bizarre Room, I wasn't expecting the next thing to happen. The Cheshire Cat grinned down at us from the table, and it wasn't a nice grin.

"Are you prepared for the worst? If not, too bad!" We jumped as a giant Heartless formed from right out of the shadow of the table. Well, that never happened in the game and it would've been so cool…. **IF IT WASN'T TRYING TO KILL US!**

The four of us scattered, trying not to get squashed by the Trickmaster's feet. Goofy tried to attack from the ground but only hit the guard part of the legs. I couldn't stop Donald from using a fire spell and within a few minutes the smell of burning duck feathers plus the sound of Donald's shouts of pain echoed through the room.

"Why didn't you tell us not to use fire spells?!" Sora shouted as we climbed up to the table so we could get a clear shot.

"Sorry! I forgot! We were kind of in a rush!" I yelled back as he helped me climb. "Plus, the fight came out of nowhere! I didn't have time to prepare!"

"Well, what do we do now?" Sora asked as we watched the Trickmaster. I thought for a moment; Sora was decent with magic but Donald… if those two work together…

"Goofy! I need you to distract the Trickmaster! Donald, get your burning feathered butt up here!" I ordered with much shouting on Donald's part. Still, he came up and stood beside Sora.

"So what do we do now?" Donald asked, as I keep an eye on Goofy incase I had to go in and help him.

"I need you both to use blizzard spells on the Trickmaster. Freeze the Heartless over!" I shout and jump in to help Goofy. Goofy looked ready to pass out, so I took over while he got a chance to rest. I didn't attack much, just dodged and managed to get a few stabs in but I was focused on seeing the progress of Donald and Sora. They were doing really well with the blizzard spells. The Trickmaster wasn't moving as fast and finally freezing to the point I stabbed it, and the whole Heartless crumbled to the ground. I watched as the heart flew away, and I was nearly thrown to the ground by the guys hugging me.

"You did it!" Donald shouted and for a moment, I was confused.

"I did what?"

"You made the plan to take down the Heartless!" Sora cheered, slapping me on the back. "How'd you do it?"

"Well, it was more of a lucky guess really." I admitted. "This whole thing isn't like the game so maybe there are other strategies I can use to defeating an enemy. That was kind of my mindset, but it worked so I must be doing something right."

"You gotten stronger, Anna. You're doing great!" Goofy cheered, looking at me proudly, and I couldn't help but feel a little proud myself. I did get stronger, and I'll need to use my head more if I can defeat Heartless in more ways than one. This isn't like the game at all… and I guess I can deal with that. I'll just have to get stronger.

"What a racket. How's a doorknob to get any sleep?" We looked to the Doorknob, who gave a very large yawn. Come to think of it, how the heck did he sleep through the whole battle? Did he take a sleeping pill when we weren't looking? I noticed something shining in the dark part of the mouth of the keyhole, and we looked into it. I heard Sora give a yelp as he was nearly thrown back as his keyblade shot a beam of light into the mouth of the Doorknob, giving a distinct click of a lock.

"What was that?" Donald asked, looking at me.

"You hear that? Sounded like something closed." Sora said, and I nodded though a thought came to me.

"Maybe we really locked the Doorknob so no one could get in…" Or out…. I notice Goofy picking up a strange looking block, examining it closely.

"This Gummi ain't like the others. No, sir."

"Okay, I'll hold onto it." Donald said, taking it from Goofy and pocketing it. I wonder if he does this to Goofy if Donald gets greedy for something.

"Splendid. You two are quite the heroes." We turned to see the Cheshire Cat, but I had to raise an eyebrow.

"Heroes? You mean me?" I asked, pointing to myself.

"But of course, you have potential but where it will lead you is up to you." The Cheshire Cat says, his grin seeming to get darker. "If you're looking for Alice, she's not here. She's gone! Off with the shadows and into the darkness."

"No…." Sora looked troubled by this news but I still kept my eyes on the cat.

"Why are you telling us this? Who's side are you really on?"

"Side?" The cat said, looking down at me. "I wonder which side you're on." The cat then vanished, and I looked at my friends. They looked beaten down and honestly, I was as well. I can feel my body getting really sore, and we all agreed to go back to the Gummi ship and head back to Traverse Town to restock on supplies. I hope we have enough painkillers.

But what did the cat mean? Of course, I'm on Sora's side. I don't want to end up on Maleficent's gang of villains. Still, she had more resources than Sora and the others. She did find Kairi's body after all and can control the Heartless… No, I shouldn't be thinking this. If Eddie knew I wanted to join the dark side, what would he think? Plus, there's no guarantee that any of my friends and family made it. It's best where I am. I'll grow stronger my own way.

**Elsewhere**

Apollo smiled, looking at the captured 'princess' now in her little hole in the wall. To him, this was an easy capture. That queen made it easy to capture her by causing that commotion and while her soldiers and the group of 'heroes' tried to save the blonde, he just had to go in and tell her he was there to save her. He just didn't expect the other girl to be there. That didn't matter though once he started playing his music for the princess. The confused and frighten look she had was priceless once she realized the illusion he made was completely fake.

His smile grew when he remembered seeing Anna fight the Trickmaster. She was rusty but was starting to get used to fighting since she didn't want to get hurt. What's more, she seemed to be using more resources around her. He wondered… when would it be a good time to see her again? She'll probably remember him on sight. He grinned thinking about what she would look like and how she'll react.

"Well done, Apollo." He turned to see Maleficent walking behind him. "We are close to our goal. You have been very helpful."

"Thank you." He said, smiling but it was more of a smirk. He knew what he was to her…. But she had no idea what he was to him. "Anyway, when will we get our new friend to have a little fun? He's been sulking ever since we brought him to the castle."

"Patience, my pet. I promise you'll get a chance to talk more to him, he needs a little more persuasion." Maleficent said, running a finger along Apollo's cheek. He wanted to swat her away, since when was he ever her 'pet'?

"Anyway, I'm going to keep an eye on that girl. I'm sure she also interests you."

"Yes she does…" Maleficent said smirking and Apollo walked off. He made a mental note to scrub off the skin where Maleficent touched him. Still, he was bored and missed having a plaything. His last one seemed to have run away and went into hiding ten years ago, and this girl was just the sort of thing he needed to get motivated again.

"Give me a good show, Anna."

* * *

Anna:... Wait, what is Apollo? Is he the Pied Piper or something?

Crystal: Maybe...

Nihil:... okay I can agree with the chapter. Home on the Range was supposed to be the piped piper story but that movie wasn't the best.

Anna: don't get me started on that one.

Crystal: Anyway, next Chapter: Zero to Half-Hero? Will be up as soon as I can finish it. Who is Apollo? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.


	4. Chapter 4: Zero to Half-Hero?

Crystal: Hello, one and all! I have the newest chapter up for you guys!

Anna: That was quick...

Nihil: She's got her drive back.

Grace: Don't forget a few more characters.

Girl with Pink Hair and Green Eyes: Most of them will be important.

Anna: O.O who are you and what are you doing here?!

Crystal: Oh, this is Polka. My right hand girl for a while.

Anna:... she's the one who you were working on?

Crystal: Well, Polka is for something outside but she decided to drop by.

Polka: It's nice to meet all of you.

Crystal: anyway, to the disclaimers!

Disclaimers: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. If you prefer the original KH stories I did, go to my account. And please no flames...

Crystal: Actually, I need to address the no flames thing. -.- Just because I say no flames, doesn't mean you can shout at me on PM about your views about my taste in disney princesses or taste in food. People are can have their own opinions but forcing it onto others isn't being nice, it is being rude.

Polka: Um... yeah, Crystal was pretty angry by this PM. Whoever did the PM, this is no disrespect, but you weren't nice to our admin. And she's pretty angry.

Crystal: Anyway, just get to the chapter before I have the urge to jump a shark or something. -.-

* * *

Chapter 4: Zero to Half-Hero?

Two and a half weeks.

That's how long it took for us to get back on our travels. Turns out we were injured more than we had expected after fighting the Trickmaster. We went back to Traverse Town and got healed up, but we weren't allowed until Aerith felt we were ready to set out again. So for the few days, we were bedridden and sore all over. Even Sora and Goofy, who were probably the fittest among our little gang, were whining in pain a bit. This did give me some time to talk to Artemis but only when he visited. He didn't talk about the keyblade I saw him have before we left. In fact, he kept changing the subject every time I mentioned it. I wonder why though.

Still, we went back on our way with extra food and fuel to keep us from having to go back to Traverse Town again. Both Donald and Sora were going nuts since their minds were thinking only of the people they were searching for. Not that I blame them, with the Heartless around it's pretty much danger everywhere… well, except the Deep Jungle but that peace won't last long. I'm still worried about finding my friends and family. I won't forget how when Eddie's call suddenly ended with a scream. I wonder who screamed though. Sounded like his mother but… that's still not comforting. All I can do is hope they're okay until I find them. Even if everyone was destroyed along with the world… will they return when it's restored?

This is real life now, how can one just return from the dead, unless they're just locked in some dark coma. The whole idea of the Kingdom Hearts games being real makes me wonder if anything will happen the way it should be. I wish I had the answers I need right now, so I wouldn't have to stress myself this much. Sadly, I don't. I'm just as lost as Sora right now if not more so. Knowing the game and what will happen only raises questions about how grounded in reality everything is.

So when we arrive in the Olympus Coliseum, it felt a bit normal. The chaos of Wonderland behind us and replaced with Greek buildings and sane people. Walking through the town with Sora and the others, I felt a bit like a tourist. I wanted to see everything! But looking around, we heard the announcement about the games that were going to take place in a week.

"Huh? What are the games?" Sora asked as everyone looked to me. Since I told them my secret, they've kind of been looking to me for almost everything… which I'll admit is pretty cool. My greatest weapon is my fangirl powers.

"Well, the games are actually a tournament for heroes." I say, smiling and waving a knowing finger. "Heroes from all over the world come here to fight and prove their worth. Only the best of the best can fight in those games." I think about how Aqua and Terra during Birth by Sleep got a chance to play in the games… I wonder if those counted as actual games since Hercules wasn't considered a hero back then. Sora's mind however was in an entirely different place.

"Really?! The strongest fighters?!" Sora shouted, his eyes shining like Christmas lights. "Then we should sign up! After all, we've been battling the Heartless, and we won two major battles!"

"Um… I don't think..." But Sora already ran off, Donald following with the same amount of energy as Sora and Goofy followed. I sighed, walking after them. "You'd think they'd understand heroes by now." All through our walk through the Greek town, we've been hearing nothing but stories of heroes and their great deeds. I think beating a bunch of Heartless to them isn't considered being heroes.

I manage to catch up with Sora and the others at the Coliseum and by the looks of it, Sora was struggling to move a pedestal that was bigger than the four of us combined. Donald and Goofy looked like they wanted to help, but Sora kept gritting his teeth and saying he could do it on his own. The faun, Phil, was too busy writing something in chalk to notice that Sora wasn't Hercules but hey, his own fault. It wasn't until Sora slipped and fell on his face when he finally gave up.

"It's way too heavy!" Sora shouted, struggling to stand up from his fall.

"What?! Too heavy?! Since when were you such a little…" Phil turned and finally noticed us. "Oh, wrong guy." What're you doing here?" Phil jumped from his spot to face up against Sora and Donald. "This 'ere is the world famous Coliseum. Heroes only. And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So run along, pipsqueaks."

"If I'm not mistaken, aren't we taller than you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Oh, we got one with a bit of backbone." Phil said, and I shrugged.

"No, it's called common sense." I said and looked at the pedestal. "Besides, that thing is way to heavy for a normal person to move alone." This made Phil laugh, and he went over to the pedestal now.

"Look, it's like this. Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters right here in the Coliseum."

"You got heroes standing right in front of you!" Donald said, annoyed at Phil's statement.

"Yup. He's a real hero chosen by the keyblade." Goofy added, his hands on Sora's shoulders. I feel ready to smack Donald and Goofy right now. Just because a legendary weapon chooses you to wield it, doesn't make you a hero like that. You have to earn that right! Sora doesn't seem to think that since he looked pretty proud of himself. I think the last few victories got to his head.

"And we're heroes too!" Donald added. Okay, maybe it's not just Sora who's got the big head. Don't they remember we nearly died in our last battle?!

"Hero? That runt?!" Phil burst out laughing, holding his sides as he looked at me. "Let me guess, you're his cheering squad!"

"Excuse me?" I say, offended by this. "I can fight too; I just don't say anything about it." That and I know I'm still not that strong.

"We've fought a bunch of monsters!" Sora added, looking furious. Phil managed to stop laughing to look at us carefully.

"Hey, if you can't even move this…" Phil said trying to move the pedestal, but it wouldn't budge, "You can't call yourself… a hero." The faun continued to struggle, but it didn't move.

"Yeah…. So since you didn't move it, doesn't that make you a bad trainer for heroes?" I ask. That got Phil's beard to curl in anger, his face turning red as flames.

"Anyway, I'm busy! So run along pipsqueaks!" Phil said and before we can say 'Oh for the love of Zeus,' we were thrown out of the building.

The moment we got out of earshot of the Coliseum and went to an empty temple, Sora and Donald let it all loose.

"What's that old goat's deal?! Treating me like a kid?!"

"He had heroes right in front of him! We fight Heartless all the time and protect the people!"

"Yeah, you tell them, Donald!" I sighed and sat on the stairs, listening to the guys vent. I noticed the temple surroundings carefully and found it interested that we were in a temple of Apollo. The sun entered through a hole in the ceiling and made the patterns on the floor stand out. The smell of oils filled the air, and it didn't seem that bad at all. Though the shouting from the guys was annoying. It took maybe a minute for me to notice some else was with us, and I turned to see Hades standing close to Sora!

"Whoa, hold on there, fuzz boy. Wait let me guess. You want to enter the games, right?" Hades says, his hands on Sora's shoulders and turning him to look at him almost nose to nose. "You have that hero look in your eyes."

"Hold it! Foul! Red card! Back off!" I shout, taking out my rapier. "Inappropriate touch and look! Back away from the kid!"

"Hey!" Hades just laughed and looked at me with an amused look.

"No need to get snappy, I just came to give you this." Hades said and handed me a pass for the games.

"A pass? What's the deal?" I ask, but Hades gave one of his annoying lawyer smirks.

"It's all yours, kid. I'm looking forward to a great show. You're expected, after all." He says and walks off into the shadows. The way he said that… was it directed at me alone? No way, Sora's the one with the keyblade. He's the one the villains want to get rid of… but why say he was looking forward to a good show?

"Yes! We got a pass!" Sora shouted, dragging me by my free arm towards the Coliseum. "Come on, let's show it to the old goat!"

"His name is Phil…" I say, but Sora wasn't listening. He was determined to fight in the games. When we got to the Coliseum again, Phil was examining the pass I had given him.

"How did you get a hold of this pass?"

"So, can we enter the games or what?" Sora asked, rubbing his neck. I don't think any of us wanted to say we picked it up from some random stranger with flaming blue hair. Phil frowned, looking at us over the pass.

"All right, you can… but you guys gotta lot of training to do! We only got a week before the games, so we're starting right now!"

"Wait what?!"

And that's how we got stuck in the Olympus Coliseum for a whole week. Training, eating, fighting, more training, you name it. We were so busy and sore that we didn't have much time for anything else. I think we're also starting to get addicted to potions since we needed a quick painkiller if we ever wanted to rest. We've also been sleeping in the coliseum but eating the food from the Gummi ship; Phil didn't exactly feed us since we said we had our own food. Thank you, Sora for that. So we're going to have to go back to Traverse Town again unless we want to starve. We could shop here, but I'm not letting Sora anywhere near the wine.

"You're no heroes yet, but you ain't doing bad!" Phil cheered the last day before the games. "Lucky you came to me for coaching?"

"How long have we been training today?" Goofy asked, not getting up from the ground.

"Five hours and ten minutes." Donald answered, waving himself with his hat.

"Apollo, please turn off the sun. It really hurts now. Oh wait, is it Helios and not Apollo…. I don't care anymore." I whine turning away, so I didn't have to look at the bright sun, most likely giving me sun burns as I lay on the ground.

"Let's see the results of your training." Phil said, going to Sora to see if he built any muscle… which none had really formed. "Ah well, that doesn't matter. "But just being strong doesn't make you a hero. It's in the heart." Phil jabbed at Sora's chest, and I sat up to look at him. "In order to become a hero, your heart must be strong, as well." Well, Sora's already got that down.

"What makes a strong heart? If you have to ask, you're not a hero yet." We looked to see Hercules had finally arrived though he looked like he had been busy cleaning.

"Hercules!"

"Hey Phil, I'm done cleaning the Coliseum toilets." Hercules said, and I wondered, how bad were the toilets here if it took a week to clean them.

"Let me introduce you to the man who's the most popular hero around! Hercules!" Phil said but then realized what his champion had just said. "Wait! You were cleaning toilets?!"

"Yeah, that's what you asked me to do."

"For a whole week?!"

"You didn't have them cleaned in a while."

"Okay, that was a disgusting thought." I say, shuddering. "I'm Anna; these are my friends Sora, Donald, and Goofy." I say, gesturing to Sora and the others. Sora, however, was too busy trying to make a muscle on his skinny arms, but to no luck.

"I also checked over the entry list. There seems to be a large number of strange first timers. I wonder where they got their tickets. Also, there will be a lot of female members in the audience since Apollo is playing." Hercules said, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Apollo? As in the God?"

"No." Hercules said, shaking his head. "He's this new musician in the town but apparently he plays so well that everyone seems to love his music. I don't know how he got permission to preform at the games opening."

"Well, I didn't approve of it. Maybe someone else did."

"Probably." Hercules said, and turned to us. "Anyway, you guys should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a rough day."

"Okay, we will." Sora said as Donald and Goofy felt to the ground.

The rest of the day was devoted to sleeping, and eating mostly on Donald and Goofy's part. Sora still wanted to train, but Hercules and I both said no. I wonder why Sora's so into the fact of trying to become a hero? Well, waking up that night from a nightmare gave me a chance to talk about it. I was having a nightmare about my world being destroyed, happens at least once a week now when I noticed Sora sitting on the steps outside and looking up at the stars.

"You okay?" I ask, walking over to him, and he just nods.

"Just thinking about how many worlds there really are. Is every star out there another world?" Sora asked, and I nodded.

"From what I can remember, yes. Every star is another world and the light we see is the light of the heart of those worlds." I say, looking up at the sky. Even with all the stars, it seems so empty. I see a star go out, and I wonder what world was lost to the Heartless now.

"Hard to believe there's so many… Riku was right about my world being a piece of something much greater." Sora said a slightly lost look in his eyes.

"Hey, Sora? Why are you so serious about being a hero?" I asked as Sora closed his eyes.

"It's something Riku and I wanted to be. We used to pretend we were heroes when we were little. My friend, Kairi, she always would be the princess, but we loved the idea of being heroes." Sora smiled as if lost in a pleasant dream. "I guess I just want to do something in memory of my friends. That way, when I see Riku again, I can show him how strong I've gotten. I'm sure he's out there, fighting just as hard as I am."

Oh the irony of Kairi playing the princess. Still, it's nice to see Sora thinking about his friends so much. I can understand now why Sora was so serious. Compared to Riku, I guess Sora felt second rate. He just wanted to be a true hero for a change, and I can respect that. Still, I can't bring myself to tell Sora where Riku really is. Riku isn't really fighting. Compared to the way Sora is acting now, Riku is taking the easy way, and that's not good. You have to earn things, and Sora is proving that right now.

"I'm sure they'd be proud of you if they can see you now." I say and nudge Sora with my elbow. "Especially your Princess Kairi."

"Wha?!" Sora blushed as I laughed.

"Come on, it's written all over your face! The way you looked when you thought I was Kairi, and the way you talked about her now, you got a thing for her." I teased, and Sora just looked down.

"I…. I haven't really thought about it." I smiled and stood up.

"You know, you better think about it. Because if you don't maybe Riku will steal her."

"What?! Come on! You're just as bad as Riku!" Sora whined but after a minute, he joined in the laughter as well. I keep saying how good Sora is, but I think this is the first time we've really bonded… and I can really say he's my friend.

'I just hope Kairi doesn't get jealous.' I think as I walk back into the Coliseum. 'Sora is adorable, but I think I'd like Riku more.' I'll be the first to admit I have a crush on Riku. His whole issue with darkness is kind of a draw in, and he does look really handsome. I stop myself and quickly slap my cheeks. 'No, no, no. No thinking like that. He will be the enemy soon. You will have to fight him one day so no thinking about the crush!'

The next day, the entire stands were packed with people to see the games. A few girls were even whispering about the guy Apollo, who will be playing for the opening performance of the games. I seriously wonder why people aren't wondering about this. Apollo is a god after all and wouldn't it be weird to have a name like Apollo and plays so well? That usually ends in tragedy in Greek stories. I think that was with Arachne and Athena is a good example of trying to match skills with a God. But as long as we're not killed for watching this guy play, I'm not complaining.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I sat in the back as the performance began, but my heart suddenly sank. The person who walked on the stage wore a silk black toga exposing his chest a bit much to the delight of the women in the crowd, but it was his face. The yellow eyes and dark raven black hair. It was the same guy from earlier, the one from my world, and Wonderland! In his hand was a pipe of sorts and when he started playing everyone went silent. I covered my ears, just incase something happened, and I think something did. I noticed Sora's eyes went glassy, and a few members of the crowd seemed to get this look as well. I pulled out my phone, trying not to focus on the music and put my headphones on to listen to the loudest music I possibly could.

After covering Sora's ears with my hands, he seemed to snap out of it and looked around as if he was shocked. He mouthed something, but I couldn't hear him. The music this guy used was dangerous; he was dangerous! At least I know his name but I had to ask him something. The moment the music ended, Apollo was given a round of applause from the people who weren't affected by the music. He left the field, but I ran after him. He was instantly surrounded by at least six women and I felt my heart sink deeper as I look into their eyes. All the women had a glassy eyed look about them like the music hadn't stopped for them. Their ages also varied from fifteen to mid-twenties. Still, I had to be noticed.

"Hey! Apollo!" I shouted, glaring at him though my hands were shaking. He turned to me and gave me a cat-like smile.

"Ah, I thought I'd be seeing you again." He said, but there was an underline of malice in his voice. "What is it I can help you with?"

"You're the one who kidnapped Alice with your freaky music magic, didn't you?" I ask, but I knew it was him. It had to be. Apollo just looked playfully puzzled.

"Alice? I don't believe I know who you're talking about. I never got her name."

"Cut the act! You kidnapped her, and now you're using your magic on these girls!" I shout, but Apollo laughs.

"What? These girls came to me willingly. Didn't you?" He asked, and all the girls nodded. They all smiled dreamily at Apollo, and I wanted to smack that smirk off his face. He detached himself from the arms of one girl and walked over to me. I noticed the look in his eyes. He must be older than he appears to be or at least cleverer than anyone I've ever met. He leans in and whispers into my ear. "By the way, the princess is perfectly safe in sleep. No need to get angry, Anna."

I freeze as Apollo moves away, and I smile I really didn't like forms across his lips. He turned to the girls and left with them. I wanted to stop him, to make sure the girls were safe… but my feet weren't working. I was too shocked to move. How did he know my name? What was he planning? I am so lost! Moreover, I was scared. This guy was something I knew nothing about and had powers I had never seen before. He was an unknown piece in this game… just like I was. How many more pieces are there?

"Anna? You okay?" I turned to see Sora and the others coming over to me with concerned looks on their faces. "You ran off so suddenly. Our match is about to start."

"Oh right, sorry." I say, but I think my voice was weak since the others still looked worried. "I'm okay, really."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"Come on, let's go win this game." I say tugging on Sora's hand, and we ran off towards the arena. The battles were pretty harsh on us, but the training did pay off. We were able to hold our own well and for the first time, I felt confident in using my rapier. The thing I noticed though was that Hercules was right, there were no human heroes within the games. They were all Heartless mobs. Come to think of it, has this world seen Heartless before now? I know they experienced Unversed so… what about the Heartless. During the break before we had to go to our final match, Sora and the others discussed this with me.

"Why are the Heartless in the games? I don't get it." Sora asked, sipping on some water as I looked through our potion supplies. We're running low.

"Well, the Heartless are probably after something. But I kind of don't get what they're really after." Which is true, the keyhole is in the hall of the Coliseum, not in the arena. Unless Hades sent the Heartless in to kill us, but if that's the case, why employ Cloud to fight us?

"Hey, kids, whatcha talking about?" Phil asked, coming over with some more drinks for us.

"Nothing." We say quickly and thankfully Phil didn't complain.

"Anyway, you're in the finals. You got a big opponent coming up, Cloud Strife." Phil said as I took a…whatever those containers of water with straws and looked like they were made of plastic that existed in Disney's ancient Greece had. "This guys isn't going to be a walk in the park; he's beaten all the competition alone. You guys may have numbers, but he's got muscle."

"I think we got this, we got potions, after all." Sora said, looking at me, and I nodded.

"We got a bit left to finish up this last round but we have to be careful."

"We also got my magic." Donald said, and I sighed. I think Donald may be the first to get knocked out.

Sure enough, the first minute of the match, Donald was on the ground and unable to get up. Poor Sora, it seemed like he was the one Cloud was aiming for. Goofy and I managed to keep up a good fight as I keep throwing potions to Sora and Donald to make sure they didn't pass out. I'm honestly scared about what will happen after this battle, and if any of us are knocked out, they'll be doggy food. I'm not sure why, but he avoided trying to attack me. Was it because my outfit looks like something Tifa wore, and I reminded him of her? Maybe he was told not to hurt me by some higher force…. But that did give me a chance to strike the final blow to send Cloud down. My first kind of real win.

"I think our battle is over…" I say to Cloud, who was kneeling on one knee. I looked up just in time and tried to yell Cloud to run when a giant paw squashed him to the ground. Okay, Disney's Cerberus looks kind of adorable in the movie. Big but cute. Having it growl down at you with a look that says 'I will eat you slowly and painfully,' all cuteness is gone. Worst part, I'm the closest person to Cerberus. 'This is it! Death by being eaten by a giant three-headed mythological dog!' I think, flinching as it opened its mouth to eat me. Why did I have to freeze when I'm scared like this!? What happened to fight or flight!

But I didn't feel any pain, I didn't even feel wet, I was saved! You know when you're in shock, and how the world seems to go in a kind of slow motion? Well, I felt like that. I was on the ground, Hercules holding Cerberus back as he shouts for us to get out of there. Sora had to drag my shocked body out of the arena and to the main hall of the Coliseum.

"You okay?" Sora asked, gasping as I nodded.

"Yeah, the shock has worn off." I say, but my hands were still shaking. I saw my life flash before my eyes! I thought I was going to die!

"You're lucky Herc came in." Phil said, gasping and clutching his chest. "That was Cerberus, guardian of the Underworld. How he got into the arena, I'll have no idea."

"Unless he was sent." I say plopping onto the ground, and I felt like I didn't want to get up. "Think about it, it can't be a coincidence." Phil nodded, frowning.

"Well, I'm sure Herc can handle…" Phil began, but we all jumped at the sound of a loud dog barking and crashing outside in the arena. "Herc!" Phil panicked, looking ready to pull out his ears and beard.

"You sure he's gonna be okay?" Donald asked; Phil with a raised eyebrow but the faun was too busy freaking out to notice.

"We gotta go help him." Sora said, looking very determined.

"Are you nuts?! This ain't some match; this is real!" Phil shouted, but Sora still looked serious.

"Someone's gotta help Hercules. He can't possible beat Cerberus by himself." Sora says but then grins. "You can decide if we're hero material or not after this."

"Hold on! I'm coming with you!" I say, chugging down a potion for a quick heal. "Someone's gotta save you from this suicide mission."

"We're coming to!" Sora smiled at Donald, Goofy, and me before turning to the doorway to the arena.

"Okay then…. Come on! Let's save Herc!"

"Wait, we're going right now?! We haven't even healed yet!"

"Charge!" I stared at the guys, feeling my stomach sink.

"I'm surrounded by reckless idiots! At least I drank a potion before this!" I shouted, running after them.

I seriously wonder how Hercules was able to get Cerberus at the end of his rope. It was mentioned in the game as well as in the manga that Hercules actually was ready to finish off the three-headed giant dog. But how was he able to do that while having Cloud, unconscious, over his shoulder. I mean, the guy has god-like strengths but still. 'And we're out of potions too…' I think running into the arena. 'Goodbye life.'

"Hercules! We'll hold off Cerberus!" Sora shouted as we got into position. Hercules hesitated for a second but nodded and ran out of the arena. Phil followed after Herc but turned around to shout one last thing.

"Kids, I got two words of advice for you. Attack!"

"That's one word!" Goofy shouted as Cerberus charged at us.

I'm not sure if Sora has a death wish, but he was the first one to strike Cerberus… and that was enough to send the giant dog down. I stare at the dog, poking at it with my rapier, as reality seemed to seep into my mind. Hercules just needed one good punch to beat Cerberus… we didn't need to do a giant battle with the dog shaking the earth, summoning fireballs, and darkness holes at random. We were saved from a horrible boss battle, and I realized… I was laughing.

"Oh god, we did it!" I shouted as Sora cheered with me.

"We did it! We beat Cerberus!" I swear, Sora and I spent the next five minutes dancing in the arena before running back in to find Phil and Hercules. I just managed to hear Hercules telling Phil about how he already had Cerberus on the ropes when Sora came in.

"Phil! We did it! We defeated Cerberus!" Sora cheered. Now that the happiness of being alive has passed, I decided to not say anything about that fight. I think Sora does deserve at least to believe he defeated a mythological beast.

"Well… at least you got the job done." Phil said, and I looked to Hercules to see him winking at Phil to keep silent. Subtle, Herc. Really subtle. "But rule number fifty-one clearly states: Don't get cocky. You got that, don't get…"

"Hey, I bet I can move this pedestal now!"

"What did I just say about not getting cocky!" Phil shouted, as I sighed. Sora struggle for a minute and I looked to Phil and Herc.

"Mind if we help out. Heroes are nothing without their friends, right?" I was shocked to see the look of approval on Herc's face as he nodded.

"Sure, go ahead." I looked to Donald and Goofy before joining Sora at the pedestal.

"Come on, I can push this…" Sora stops, and I can see why. I noticed a light starting to glow under the pedestal. "Come on, push."

"What?

"Just push!" Sora shouted, and we pushed together to see a keyhole under the block of stone. At once, Sora's keyblade appeared, and a beam of light shot out of it into the keyhole. I smiled, watching this. I wasn't expecting to lock the keyhole this early in the adventure… then again, this whole thing is so weird. I doubt a lot of things will be the same as it was in the game. Phil sighed and after a few minutes, her had prepared something for us.

"Thus, I hereby dub thee junior heroes, and confer upon thee full rights and privileges to participate in the games. Further…"

"Hey! What do you mean, junior heroes?" Donald asked, put out by the title given to us.

"You rookies still don't understand what it takes to be a true here." Phil pointed out as Sora and I looked at each other. We still have a long way to go before we could ever be considered heroes in my opinion.

"So, what does it take?" Goofy asked, and that was a genuine question I've always been asking since I saw this cutscene years ago.

"Well, that's just something you'll have to find out for yourselves." Hercules said, with a knowing look on his face.

"Well, we'll be coming back for some more training." I say, but Sora looked proud, his chest puffed out a little.

"We'll start proving ourselves in the games." I sighed and rolled my eyes. The victory was getting to Sora's head, and it was beginning to get annoying.

"You do realize the arena is kind of destroyed, right? No arena? No games." That really seemed to deflate Sora as he seemed to sink back into himself.

"Oh… right." I looked to Hercules and Phil and gave them a wink.

"Anyway, we'll see you guys later and don't worry. I'll keep your secret." I grinned, loving my ultimate power, being a Kingdom Hearts fan girl. The two stared at me with a look of shock as we walked out of the main hall. I felt a bit pleased and maybe a bit proud. I do think I've gotten stronger from this hard week of training, and I've learned how to use my rapier better than a few weeks ago. We stopped at the gates of the Coliseum to see Cloud sitting there.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked gently. Well, seeing as he nearly died at the hands of a giant death dog and that fact he was being used I think it'll take a while for him to recover mentally from the whole mess.

"Yeah." Cloud said he was calm, but I can tell he had a lot on his mind.

"So, why did you go along with him, anyway?" Hm… guess Sora must've heard about Cloud working with Hades from Phil. Phil can use his brains… he's just not good at math.

"I'm looking for someone. Hades promise to help." Cloud says as he stands up. "I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light."

"You'll find it." Sora says, and for a second, I could see a look of sadness on Sora's face. "I'm searching too." That got Cloud interested as he looked over Sora.

"For your light?"

"Yes." I nod, and I decide to try and give him some good news. He deserves it, after all the crap he just went through. "If you're worried about Aerith, she's safe. We saw her a while back, and she's perfectly fine. I'm sure she's waiting for you too." Cloud didn't say anything and I felt like he was trying to examine me under a microscope. Did I say something wrong? He walked towards me and dropped something into my hands.

"You'll find your own light. Until then, keep looking."

"Huh," was all I could really say as I watched Cloud walk off. I didn't say anything back as Sora shouted for a rematch and we ended our meeting with Cloud on good terms.

On our way back to Traverse Town, I stared at the thing Cloud had given me. It was a clear gem that seemed to shine brightest against a light. Maybe this was meant for Sora… but why did Cloud give it to me. I lay in my bed, thinking about Cloud's words. Come to think of it, what am I really fighting for? Even if I don't find my family and friends, I always think they'll return when the worlds are restored. So… what am I really striving for? 'What is my light really?' I think, curling in bed and drawing the covers over me. My hope is to see my family and friends again… but when all is said and done… What then?

**Elsewhere**

Apollo looked over the six Heartless and the three Nobodies formed from the girls he had taken. He smiled at his latest creations. His best works yet since both Heartless and Nobodies had a human-like form. He had a few plans for the Heartless. After all the others working with Maleficent needed a bit of help with gaining Heartless within their worlds. Best of all, he knew how to construct them into beings he wished. Sirens of music which can show the dark desires of one's heart…

"I see you have been busy." Apollo turned to see Maleficent walking over to him. A look of pride and malicious glee crossed her face as she saw the forms before her. Of course, Maleficent wouldn't know anything about the Nobodies. To her, they would be nothing but dead bodies that had not faded. Her focus was on the Heartless alone. "What will you do with your new creations?"

"Well, one of them will go to Jafar." Apollo said, pointing to each one in turn. "Someone needs to remove the Sultan from his throne anyway. Three will go to Captain Hook to turn the rest of his crew into Heartless. Another will go to Ursula. And the last… I think I'll unleash her in a new world. Let's see how this unknown piece will react to seeing a new Heartless."

"You seem quite interested in this girl." Maleficent says, looking at a magic circle with the image of Anna lying in bed, now asleep.

"Of course, to prevent a boring life, one must find stimulating toys." Apollo smirked, looking over to his "boss". "After all, even you can see the potential in her. If you can bring out the darkness in her, you would have a perfect pawn."

"Yes, you are right." Maleficent nodded in agreement. "However, we have a guest who is willing to help our cause as long as we hold our end of the bargain."

"Yes, I know." Apollo says with a nod. "For now, let me have my fun while you play with your new toy." Maleficent scowled, not sure if Apollo was mocking her or not before leaving. Apollo grinned, looking back at his new creations. This was going to be very fun indeed.

* * *

Anna:... Wait, so there are six siren Heartless out there? And Sora and I have to fight them?

Crystal: yep.

Nihil: and there are three nobodies.

Crystal: Yep.

Grace: Will they appear in this story?

Polka: Nope. But you will see them as we go into the other Kingdom Hearts games.

Anna:... how do you know this?

Polka: Because Crystal is trusting me with her ideas.

Anna and Nihil: Wait, what?!

Crystal: Sorry, but this will be a mystery to even you two. Anyway, Chapter 5: In the Jungle, will be out as soon as I can finish and edit it. I'll see you all later!

Polka: Thank you for reading!


End file.
